...Philosophy Assignment: Plato, Aristotle, and Hume Plato: One paragraph demonstrating why he is a rationalist: - “As long as we have this body, and an evil of that sort is mingled with our souls, we shall never fully gain what we desire; and that is truth. For the body is forever taking up our time with the care which it needs; and, besides, whenever diseases attack it, they hinder us in our pursuit of real being. It fills us with passions, and desires, and fears, and all manners of phantoms, and much foolishness; and so, as the saying goes, in very truth we can never think at all for it”. - This quote demonstrates why Plato is a rationalist because in it he outlines his belief that the body hinders our learning and prevents us from gaining truths. He describes how the senses can deceive us by presenting us with “passions”, “desires”, and “fears”, all obstacles in our quest for knowledge. Aristotle: One paragraph demonstrating why he is a moderate realist: - “Now it is by means of the sensitive faculty that we discriminate the hot and the cold, i.e. the factors which combined in a certain ratio constitute flesh: the essential character of flesh is apprehended by something different either wholly separate from the sensitive faculty or related to it as a bent line to the same line when it has been straightened out”. - This quote demonstrates why Aristotle is a moderate realist because he demonstrates why it is necessary to rely on the senses for the...
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...some playing around on a philosophy assignment. I had to do a dialogue between Plato and Aristotle. I call onto all experts, and those that enjoy the subject to read it and tell me what you think. Here it is…. Epitaphs Plato v.Aristotle Plato: Aristotle, may I ask you why you disagree with my theory of forms? Can you explain, or reveal your thoughts as to why? Better yet, express a theory you could replace my theory with. Aristotle: Sure, do you mind answering some questions for me? Just to confirm my understanding of your theory. Plato: Certainly. Aristotle: Is it safe to assume that the way you define the word ‘form’ in your theory of forms is synonymous with the word ideas? Plato: Yes. Aristotle: Ideas are perfect as long as they are in your mind. Would you agree with that statement? Plato: Yes, I would agree with that statement. Aristotle: This could be taken a step forward, a step so far that even you will disagree with it. Would you like to hear my progression based on your theory? Plato: Sure. Aristotle: According to your theory of form every idea a person has is perfect, and every attempt to bring life to that idea is imperfect. Is that right? Plato: Yes it is. I’ve said this before. Aristotle: Do you realize that someone could very well take your theory and assume you are insulting the Gods, or at the very least someone could interpret it in that way. Plato: What do you mean? You believe that I imply that God’s are flawed? You think...
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...Plato and Aristotle have similar views on the achievement of the good life but also many important differences. While both Plato and Aristotle believe that the good life is one that attains happiness and that only a philosophical life will bring ultimate happiness which will therefore lead to the good life, the main difference between the two is the status or nature of the good and thus happiness. In this essay I shall explain both Plato’s and Aristotle’s views on the good life and how it should be attained. Plato’s good life is an idealist view, as he came up with the theory of ideas (ideas come first, then the world) The ‘good’ to Plato is somehow different to the actual object we see, as the good is outside the world (in the world of ideas) To ‘see’ the good of ideas we must use our rationality. He believed that the entities are corruptible as they change (they possess becoming) To live a good life one must know what the good life is as an idea. The ‘good’ ‘moral’ and ‘truth’ are all ideas and the ‘Good’ is the idea of ideas. The good is an absolute term; being self-evident, transcendental and consistent. Plato believed that the Good life equals truth which equals knowledge which equals morality. According to Plato, to lead a good life one must have internal self-control – one must know one’s self. Plato also believed that you must have a self-disciplined mind to have a good mind. One way Plato explained his idea of the good life was by using the ‘Leaky jar analogy’ He believed...
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...Aristotle * Aristotle was born in 384 BC. 14 Years after the death of Socrates. His father was court physician to the king of Macedon. * At the age of 18 he entered Plato’s academy at Athens. (Plato was 60 years old) Aristotle remained in the academy until Plato’s death. * Aristotle became tutor to the son of King of Macedon who then became Alexander the great. * Aristotle rejected almost everything that Plato had argued – in particular the existence of forms, he said that human beings needed to work out what was good or bad or right and wrong by looking at the world as it was. * Aristotle and Plato both had huge influence for more than 2000 years of history but Aristotle had the greatest! Aristotle classified many types of animals and plants and considered that each member of different species and every living thing shared a distinct nature. Something was good if it fulfilled its nature and it was defective if it was not what it was intended to be. * Considered that a good human being fulfils the nature which is shared by all human beings. * Therefore, what it is to be good depends on knowing what it is to be human and * This can only be worked out by studying humans to understand what human nature is. For Aristotle something was good if it fulfilled its nature. Evil he held is not a positive thing at all. Evil is merely an absent of good, something suffers from evil if it is missing a good that should be present. Aristotle on God...
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...can simply be defined as the quality in a person to do what is right and shun what is wrong. Virtue enables a person to attain moral excellence. It is not only a quality which has substance, but also one, which is extremely desirable. In ancient Greek, during times of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, moral philosophy was an essential discipline which got taught in schools. Most of the Great philosophers of that time heard a different version, accounts and views about the ideal, moral virtues. In this essay, attempts are made critically to analyze the views, opinions and beliefs of two of the most influential philosophers of all time- Socrates and Aristotle ( Prior, 2001). The essays will showcase the crucial differences between Aristotle account on virtue, and Socrates account of virtue. This essay will then attempt to give an analysis of which among the two arguments is the most plausible. It should be noted from the onset the Socrates and Aristotle have different and also similar arguments about virtue. They concur that virtue is a state but differ sharply on its functions. These accounts shall get discussed in the essay ( Anagnostopoulos, 2011). The account on virtue as proposed, by Aristotle perceives morals virtues, to represent the characters that are a consequence of habits repeating themselves over and over again. His account explains that the virtues of a person can be traced between the two extreme ends of two cardinal states, which are scarcity and excess. His...
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...Jane Doe Professor Urkel ENG-225 24 February 2012 Application of Aristotle's Poetics in the work Apology by Plato According to Aristotle, the criterion that is expressed in Poetics should be based on the matter, subjects and method. For example; for matter, the melody, rhythm and language are the key considerations to be looked into. The subjects in Poetics usually bring out the character traits that are related to human characteristics. This is what brings out the difference between tragic events and comic events in a work of poetry. For tragic events, the character in most instances is usually considered to be more honest, serious and considered to be very important in society. While comic characters are usually considered to be less important in the society and not dignified. The method used could involve the use of direct speech, dialogue or quoted speech. These are the major poetic criteria used by Aristotle and applied in the work Apology by Plato. Plot structure and character are also an important part described Poetics. Plot structure is basically the plan of the work. For Apology, this can be considered into the action or the events that are taking place through this work. For example, there is recognition of the characters and an evidence of the suffering of the main character, Socrates. According to Aristotle, a good plot is one that is complex for the human understanding which can be seen in the Apology. There is the evidence of fear as well as pity for...
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...Student Notes of observed dialog between Aristotle and Plato Aristotle: So, let me get this straight, what you are saying is that this world we live in is not real? Plato: You seem not to understand what I mean. Aristotle: Because it is ridiculous. Plato: No, listen. What I am saying is that the environment or form that we live in is full of unevenness, imperfection and impurity this because this form is merely a copy of the ideal world that one would understand once they rise above our physical environment and grasp it intellectually. Aristotle: I understand you just fine but I disagree with you. I agree that our world is an imperfect world but I object to the notion that it is not real or that there is another invisible form out there from which it is cloned. I find that preposterous, everything is right here on earth, physically. Plato: No. What we see on earth ‘physically’ as you say are just mimics or artificial replicas of the real thing only with a large amount of imperfections. This is just an illusion of the real thing. Aristotle: How can that be when our natural world is real and physical? Let me explain it to you clearly, our world, this world is made up of many forms. Sure, they may not be ideal, pure or perfect but our senses identify with them. Plato: Well, our senses identify with them because they are copies of the perfect form and we have knowledge of them. Let me explain it to you. Knowledge must have as its item that which is freely actual as juxtaposed...
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...Political Science 201 November 12, 2013 Anna Umstead Plato and Aristotle, arguably two of the most influential Greek philosophers, discussed their differing views on virtue extensively throughout many of their works. Although they agree that virtue is a desirable characteristic that will lead to happiness, the ultimate good, there exists between the two philosophies salient differences. While Plato believes only philosophers are capable of true, inherent virtue, Aristotle believes all men can be virtuous with practice and dedication. GREAT. WAY TO GET TO THE POINT. BE SURE TO MENTION WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE ARGUING THAT VIRTUE IS INTRINSICALLY GOOD. HAVE IT SMACK ME IN THE FACE IT'S SO OBVIOIUS. (LIKE THAT TYPO). Plato’s Republic contains one of the greatest recorded discussions on the nature of justice. His definition of justice can be interpreted today as virtue, or the proper working of the soul. Plato argues in this work that virtue is inherently good only when it is manifest in the perfectly ordered soul of the philosopher. This philosopher is born just and inherently good, thereby making him the only individual capable of loving and seeking after virtue completely. …..... I'M GUESSING THIS ATTACHES TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH? AND I'M NOT SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT “BORN JUST”. REMEMBER, IT ISN'T “INBORN” BUT IT IS NATURAL. YOU AREN'T BORN THAT WAY. YOU TEND TOWARDS IT, THOUGH. Only through virtue, or justice as he calls it, can a man receive happiness, and this hints at the inherent...
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...Joseph Nixon PHI/105 Dialogue between Plato and Aristotle Assignment P: Given the soul is imperishable, souls gather knowledge throughout their existence. Souls carry this knowledge in every earth-bound body they inhabit. The soul has learned everything during its prior worldly interactions as well as it’s time in the other world. It can be assumed a man’s soul has learned how the art of blacksmithing. This man’s soul, when reborn might not have the given knowledge to blacksmith an adequate sword, yet we should not be alarmed should he recall this knowledge. We must assume his soul learned the art of blacksmithing in a former life. A: I understand your argument, but submit the man you describe could learn the art of blacksmithing by simply seeing weapons and swords that have been created. The man can use the swords he has seen in creating one for himself. The man uses “similarity” to form his sword to the sword that has already been created. The man simply learns the art of blacksmithing through previously created weapons. P: How can you assume the man learned the art of blacksmithing? Is it not possible that his soul could have been a blacksmith in a former life. If this man was to create an exemplary sword, how can it be assumed he learned to create such perfection with it being his first time practicing the art of blacksmithing? A: Imagine you had no knowledge of geometry and namely circles. If I drew a circle and asked you to create a circle half...
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...Karolina Dymon Response 2 Oedipus the King Aristotle, In the play Oedipus the King, the city of Thebes is under a plague and many people are dying. Kreon, Oedipus’s brother in law ventures to find an oracle to get some answers on how he can help the city. He finds out that the only way the plague can be stopped is when the murderer of the late King Laius is caught and expelled from the city. King Oedipus vows that he will catch the murderer and help his city. Oedipus sends for a prophet and asks him about the murder. The prophet tells Oedipus that he is the murderer. Oedipus refuses to believe the prophet, before the prophet leaves he says a riddle saying that,” the murderer of Laius will turn out to be both father and brother to his own children, and the son of his own wife.” Oedipus angry at what the prophet has said threatens Kreon with death for conspiring with the prophet and telling lies. Jocasta, Oedipus’s wife explains to him that all prophesies are false and as proof tells him that the Delphic oracle told Laius that he would be murdered by his son, but his son was cast out of Thebes as a baby and Laius was murdered by a band of thieves. The description of Laius’s murder sounds very familiar to Oedipus and he asks more questions. Shocked, Oedipus tells his wife that he might be the one that murdered Laius. Outside of the palace a messenger approaches Jocasta and tells her that Oedipus’s father has died and that he has come all the way from Corinth to ask Oedipus...
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...Why in the School of Athens does Plato point upwards and Aristotle point forwards? The School of Athens is one of the most famous murals by the artist Raphael which was painted during 1509 and 1510. In the middle of the painting you can distinctively see two men, one of who is pointing upwards to the heavens and one who is pointing straight forward. These two men are the famous Plato and Aristotle. Plato thought of the theory of forms which is the idea that everything has a true form and the telos of life is to try and get our souls back to the world of true forms. Aristotle however, believed more in the materialistic beings of things, the material cause. Aristotle was taught by Plato at the school of Athens, although he did not have the same views, he always took what Plato believed into consideration and recognised the value of what he had learnt from Plato and in many of his books refers to the ideas given by Plato. So why in the photo is Plato pointing upwards and Aristotle pointing forwards? the answer is simple, it is trying to present the different views of both men subliminally so even if we don't know anything about them, we will have a brief idea of what they believed in. For example, Plato is pointing upwards because he believed in the World of Forms and trying to get our souls back to the place they come from in that world, however Aristotle is a firm believer in the Materialistic world therefore he is pointing...
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...Introduction Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) entered Plato’s academy at the age of seventeen and spent twenty years with Plato. During his stay with Plato, he expressed his brilliance such that Plato considered him as the brilliant mind of the academy. Given this relationship, Plato influenced Aristotle in one way or the other such that some people even considered Aristotle a successor of Plato when Plato died. However, this never distracted Aristotle from taking a different path in his career. In fact, Aristotle contrasted with Plato in many areas. He also criticized him because he argued in different manner (Newport, 1998). On the other hand, Aristotle had various components in his system. This paper evaluates the key components of Aristotle’s system and the various contrasts of his philosophical works in relation to that of Plato. The paper starts by evaluating the key components of Aristotle’s system before it evaluates the contrasts between their worldviews. Key components The first key component of Aristotle’s system is metaphysics. This component explains Aristotle’s philosophical views and the history of philosophy. Based on this component, Aristotle showed the relationship between the form and nature of history. He also became the first person who identified the technological language because of this component (Masih, 1999). With the help of this component, Aristotle also established both practical and theoretical reasoning. The second component of the Aristotle’s system...
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...Compare and Contrast Plato and Aristotle on governance Plato and Aristotle were both philosophers from Greece who criticized democracy as a poor form of government. Plato is regarded as the first writer of political philosophy, and Aristotle is recognized as the first political scientist. These two men were great political thinkers. There are a lot of differences between the two even though Aristotle was a great student of Plato. They each had ideas of how to improve existing societies during their individual lifetimes. It is necessary to look at several areas of each theory to seek the difference in each. Plato’s thoughts on democracy were that it causes the corruption of people through public opinion and creates rulers who do not actually knowhow to rule but only know how to influence the “beast” which is the Demos, the public. Aristotle’s views about democracy hold that democratic office will cause corruption in the people, if the people choose to redistribute the wealth of the rich they will end up destroying the state and since the people have no knowledge about governance when they elect rulers they will err. The “Republic” of Plato created a country with strict hierarchy. It has a rigorous legal system and a sound education system. All public good, servicers and desires are controlled by the country. It has its own advantages such as the idealized organized national order, and discussion of country’s justice and individual’s justice;, but it also has its shortcomings...
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...Running head: ARISTOTLE Aristotle Lakeela McClinton, Daniel Ogden and Casara Williams University of Phoenix Aristotle For many centuries there have been many philosophers that are remembered throughout history. Some are remembered only for their small impacts years later through books and secondhand information. Philosophy still holds a special place within society due to many philosophers that have spanned one’s lifetime current and not so current. This biography will focus on the philosopher Aristotle. The views and contributions of this man will come into play through this essay along with background information including birth, birthplace, and teen years leading to his last days. Aristotle will be described through his learning during the most critical years including his key concepts and style of philosophy during the period in which he resided and his key influences through his lifespan and the effects that he has on society today. Bright Future In 384 BC Aristotle was born in a small town called Stageira, Chalcidice around the fourth century in northern Greece. Aristotle was born to Nicomachus who was a very well know physician in his era. Aristotle’s father Nicomachus personally attended to King Amyntas of Macedon. During this time Aristotle became suited to be trained and educated like a member of Aristocracy through the will of his father due to their stature in the society, being they were middle class individuals. There is no clear and reliable source for...
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...Nicomachean Ethics written by Aristotle and Plato’s Meno written by Plato both address the concept of virtue. With the system of Eudaimonism, Plato and Aristotle attempt to arrive at a theory or system or set of moral principles or values dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation. They further go on in applying these principles of conduct in governing an individual or group. Their main concern with conformity to this standard of right is the idea of virtue. They also seem to place one virtue as being of particular moral excellence. The widely accepted definition of Eudaimonism is having a good attendant spirit or a theory that the highest ethical goal is happiness and personal well-being. This definition of Eudaimonism...
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